Life Coach or Career Coach?

This article is a first timer's guide to life and career coaching. A helpful read before jumping into the deep end and finding the right coach for you.

What is coaching?

Coaching is good for anyone who is motivated to create a better life.

Coaches help their clients explore and come up with the best choices for them based on where they are and the client's vision for their future. Coaches are experts at the process of changing behaviour, which is much more valuable than giving instructions.

A coach will hold you accountable and challenge you to grow and do more than you think you can do. They may push, pull, and stretch you in ways that may feel uncomfortable. Due to this, be ready to go on a journey, you will feel liberated, motivated and enlightened for the most part, but also be prepared to be challenged and at times frustrated. When you break through frustration this is when break throughs in life are also very powerful.

A bit about my experience as a coach..

Over the years of working in the Life, Career & Business coaching space one-on-one with clients, ageing from 21 through to 60, the transformations achieved never ceases to inspire and amaze me.

The coaching process isn’t always a smooth sailing one and the relationship develops interestingly…but usually always with amazing results for the client and their life. This is not me blowing my trumpet here…the achievements, breakthroughs and transformations are all brought about by the clients openness and trust in the process…which for many can be so far out of their normal comfort zone it blows me away even more.

Is what your dealing with relevant for coaching?

Don’t worry whether you think a problem is too big or too small, everything is relevant to you…and that is what coaching is about.

If a coach expresses to you that they believe you could be better helped elsewhere, this is the sign of a good coach. Do not take it personally, a coach has to feel confident that they have the skills and expertise to get the results you need & they should not take on anyone who they think could benefit from another source of therapy. Any good coach should have connections with other professionals that they can signpost you to.

How you’ll probably feel about the first meeting..

Really, your initial consultation should be free; this is where the coach can illicit what your needs are and they can offer you ways in which their coaching can be beneficial to you.

The initial consultation may feel like it will be confronting; I remember when I first started seeing a coach before I became one, the first time was filled with nervousness of suddenly not knowing what to say and forgetting all of the reasons why I even wanted to speak to a coach in the first place. Fear of the unknown can take over that it makes not turning up seem like a good option. Getting over that initial hurdle is the start to your transformation…believe it or not! And see the next point…

Remember the pressure isn’t just on you,,,

A few months back I had an enquiry from a client who was ‘interviewing’ for a coach. I loved this and couldn’t wait to meet him and be interviewed by him.

Remember is that its as much up to a coach to make you feel comfortable and show you their expertise in a very short amount of it, as it is for you to have something to say! Any good coach will overcome any awkwardness you feel, they should be able to elicit quite quickly from you the reason for you seeking them out and they should then be able to clearly explain their process in relation to your situation and be able to let make you feel confident that their approach will help with what you are looking to achieve.

If you aren’t feeling comfortable by the end of your first session then maybe it is worth ‘interviewing’ a few others to see whether there is someone you will have more of a connection with.

What you should ascertain from the first real paid session..

In your first paid session your coach should work with you to ascertain the goals you’d like to achieve through coaching in a realistic timeframe and for you to properly understand the coaches process of how you will work to achieve them.

Then it should be down to business…leave your expectations behind you; if you think its all going to be tangible and to do lists then you will be surprised!

Moving Forward..

Most people seek coaching when they want to improve or change something external to them in their life; relationships, job / career, business, family, financial situation, different life decisions etc. This is where my approach gets interesting for my clients…the breakthroughs from learning, opening up to new perspectives, timeline based therapy, learning truly about oneself, and over time becoming powerful to choose emotions and actions, rather than feel a victim to external circumstances brings about the biggest shifts and breakthroughs in every area of someone’s life…as well as actively working towards the initial set goals of the coaching.

Being able to take responsibility and to truly accept where you currently are at, as bad or as hard as life or decisions may seem at the moment, opens up space for relevant and positive opportunities to come along. Living life through the lens of where you ‘should’ be right now closes you off to new possibilities. Once negative self beliefs, and negative emotions such as fear, guilt or shame are removed as a subconscious survival mechanism, the world opens up.

My approach is both personal and tangible. The first few sessions are not only about goal setting and action tasking, but clearing any personal beliefs that don’t serve the client, and which are stopping them from moving forward.

The results always astound me as not only do my clients actively start achieving what they set out to, but all of the area’s of their life become more positive. They realize that they can have it all & it’s all achievable.

That is why I am a life coach and love what I do. Being able to empower people to live a life that they truly want, and seeing the results through the process.

So if you truly want lasting improvement or change in any area of your life, seek out a life coach, make that initial appointment, be open to learning about yourself and new ways of thinking and get your life moving in the direction you truly want it to be!!

If you'd like to start your journey to personal success through learning online check out my online coaching course at www.lifedesigncoach.com/online-coaching/

Or you can contact me to arrange your free initial consultation at www.lifedesigncoach.com